Study on clinical and radiological changes in 32 patients with hemorrhagic transformation after cerebral infarction

Objective To investigate the clinical and radiological features of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after cerebral infarction (CI).Method We retrospectively studied the medical records,the brain CT/MRI changes in 32 cases of cerebral infarction with HT.Results ① 15 cases (46.9％) suffered from progressive stroke symptoms or new central neurological symptoms,National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) after HT was significantly higher than that at onset (P =0.017).The median from onset to HT was 2 days.② The lesions of infarction located in the cerebral hemisphere in 29 cases (90.6％),and the diameters of the lesions in 27 cases (84.4％) were greater than 3.0 cm.③ As the location of HT,the cerebral lobes were involved in 19 cases (59.4％),while basal ganglia involved in 13 cases (40.6％).④ CT/MRI demonstrated plaque-shape hemorrhage in 23 cases (71.9％),while focal brain edema were found in 17 cases (53.1％).Conclusion HT after CI happened primarily in the area of the middle cerebral artery,half of the patients suffered from progressive stroke symptoms or new symptoms,CT/MRI played an important role in the diagnosis of HT. Key words: Cerebral infarction;  Hemorrhagic transformation